Wednesday: Mom and I finally landed in Newark, NJ after doing circles around Connecticut for what seemed like hours! My aunt Caren (my mom's sister) picked us up from the airport. We drove into New York City or "home" as I like to call it. We ate dinner at The Redeye, also known as the Dancing Shrimp Restaurant. The food tasted delicious! Mom, Caren, and I saw the musical Damn Yankees at the New York City Center starring Sean Hayes (from Will and Grace) and Jane Krakowski (from 30 Rock and Ally McBeal). I loved the musical! Sean and Jane did a wonderful job. Sean even cracked himself up. It was great! I was so glad I was able to see it. It was pouring rain with lightening and thunder outside as we left the theater and drove to Caren’s condo in West New York, NJ where we spent the night.
Thursday: Mom and I got up around 7 AM which is way too early on vacation. We rode the Jitny (a small shuttle-like bus) into New York City. It let us off on 42nd Street near Broadway. We walked in the rain to the subway station and bought a MetroCard. We got on the subway and rode it to Lincoln Center. Mom and I were quite subway-savvy. We attended an endowment session at the Manhattan Temple. Most of the people in our session were on vacation from Utah. Go figure! I love the stark contrast of peace and quiet found in the Temple and the hustle and bustle of city life on the streets below. By the time we came out after the session, the clouds had dissipated leaving blue sky and sunshine for us to enjoy. We got back on the subway and rode it to 51st St and Broadway. We tried to find Ray’s Pizza but didn’t have any luck. We ate lunch at Ellen’s Stardust Diner. I was so embarrassed to be in there. The servers not only served food but also sang. Some of the singing was okay but I just wanted to leave! We walked to the Holiday Inn Express near 5th Avenue. We checked into our room and rested for a little while. Mom and I walked around 5th Avenue and then back to the Gershwin Theatre and met up with my friend Jenny after she got off work. (Jenny lives in New York City.) We walked to a Mexican restaurant on 51st St. We all got chicken burritos, and they tasted delicious! I enjoyed catching up with Jenny and spending a little while with her. Mom, Caren, and I walked to the Gershwin Theatre where we saw Wicked. Mom and I had front row seats on opposite sides of the theatre. Caren sat behind me one row. I loved sitting that close. I enjoyed seeing the facial expressions and the detail on the costumes. The seat I was sitting in had a very limited view. Good thing I had seen it thirteen times already! I absolutely LOVED Wicked! I don’t think I will ever get tired of seeing it. The storyline, music, characters, etc just thrill me. When the lights go down and the first note is played, I squeal with joy. My favorite Glinda was in this cast, Kendra Kassebaum. I had seen Kendra quite a few times and loved her performances! After the show was over, I waited at the stage door for Kendra but she had already left by the time I got there. Darn it! I really wanted to meet her and tell her what an amazing performance she gave and how much I enjoyed her performance.
Friday: Mom and I slept in until 9 AM. That's more like it! Mom and I walked to the subway station near Bryant Park. We rode the subway to the South Sea Port. The subway ride involved a transfer. There were a few locals that helped us get on the right subway at the transfer station. They were really nice! We got to the South Sea Port without any detours! We were subway-smart! We went to the TKTS at the South Sea Port. I didn’t like the selection they had so I refused to get a ticket for that evening’s show. We walked through the financial district to Century 21. I bought a few things. We rode the subway back to Bryant Park. We made the transfer without any problems. We went to the TKTS at the Marriott Marquis to buy tickets for that evening’s performances. I bought a ticket to see Mary Poppins and Mom bought a ticket to see a revival of Gypsy. We finally found Ray’s Pizza for a late lunch, early dinner. I ate a slice of mushroom and spinach pizza with white sauce. The slice was HUGE!! Mom and I should have shared a slice. I ate the whole thing! I shouldn’t have, but I did! It tasted delicious! I didn’t feel comfortable again for a few hours after I ate. Oh well, it was worth it! Mom walked me to the New Amsterdam Theatre where Mary Poppins was playing. Then Mom walked over a block to the theatre where Gypsy was playing. I was one of the first few people in the theatre. I found my seat and read the Playbill. The guy sitting next to me also came to see the show alone. He was a college student from Korea. He was in America as a foreign student for a semester. I enjoyed getting to know him. Mary Poppins was amazing! I loved it even better the second time than I did the first time. (I kind of fell asleep the first time I saw it!) I had to see it again and I was so glad I did! After the show ended, I text Mom to let her know I was out and walked to Coldstone Creamery. It was down a little ways and across the street from the theater. By the time I got to the front of the line (it was really busy!), Mom had gotten out of her theater and walked over to Coldstone. We bought some ice cream for our after-theater treat. (The after-theater treat is required when seeing any theatrical performance!)
Saturday: Caren, Mom, and I walked to the Gershwin Theatre. We attended Behind the Emerald Curtain. We saw a lot of the costumes used in Wicked. We also saw the masks, wigs, and props. Two of the performers in Wicked told us about the show. They told us how they got to be in the show and then the process of the making of the show. I really enjoyed it! They showed a video about the behind the scenes of Wicked. I had a blast! Here are some pictures of some of the costumes.
Elphaba's dress from the Second Act
Glinda's "bubble" dress
We walked to TKTS and bought tickets to the play 39 Steps. We ate lunch at Virgil’s. We shared an order of barbecue chicken wings and train wreck fries and banana pudding for dessert! I love their banana pudding because they put nilla wafers in it. YUM! We walked to the theatre where 39 Steps was playing. It was a play without any singing or dancing. I hate to admit it, but I fell asleep. I was so tired! It was dark and there was air-conditioning. Not a good combination to try to stay awake in. I didn’t really get what the 39 steps were to?! Maybe I should have stayed awake! We went to the New York Public Library on 5th Avenue. I always wanted to go in there because it was such an old iconic building. We looked at a photography exhibit. Mom and I went to look at a few books in the library just to make sure it was legit. We bought cupcakes for dinner from The Little Pie Company in the food court of Grand Central Station. I LOVED Grand Central Station! It was one of my most favorite places in New York City outside of the theater district. We walked to Bryant Park and sat for awhile. We ate our cupcakes in the park. YUM! We enjoyed watching people. We walked back to Broadway and saw the musical The Little Mermaid. It was really cute! By the end of the performance, Caren ended up sitting fifth row center! I loved the music and costumes. It was great! Disney and Broadway is an awesome combination! I was glad to end off my theater experience with a splash! We drove to Caren’s home in West New York, NJ where we spent the night.
Sunday: We hung out at Caren’s house most of the day. Caren drove us to the Newark airport and Mom and I flew home.
Sunday: We hung out at Caren’s house most of the day. Caren drove us to the Newark airport and Mom and I flew home.
That was the annual New York City trip. I had such a wonderful time. I love being in the city because I feel an energy there I don't feel anywhere else!
